Triumphant teams have ticket to ride

BATH CITY YOUTH A triumphant group of children from Bath City Youth were paraded around the city on an open-top bus as they marked the end of a trophy-laden season on Sunday.

Around 40 members of the under-10s and under-15s boys' teams and the under-11s girls' squad were joined on board by Bath mayor Councillor Bryan Chalker and his wife, Glenys, after the Bath Bus Company kindly donated the use of one of their vehicles.

The celebration was arranged by Eleanor Swift, the grandmother of under-10s player Felix Jones. His team topped the Hanham League and returned from the Netherlands with the Dutch Easter Open trophy.

City under-15s won Division 1 of the Mid-Wilts Youth & Minor League, while the girls clinched the Wiltshire Women's & Girls' League Cup.

"The open top bus ride was amazing," said Swift. "The public responded so well, waving and clapping as the bus passed and it was a thrilling experience. The teams loved it and obviously felt very special.

"Being a grandmother and at the age when you might feel you are beginning to have little influence any more, I did not think I could achieve this.

"Amazingly, I did and so set about creating chaos in my home to produce banners and flags to turn the bus into a 'champions' bus.

"It does prove that dreams can come true, even if this idea was originally a throwaway comment, a tongue in cheek statement that no one really thought would happen."